Home Scandal and Gossip Umass Lowell campus lockdown as armed Asian man sought

Umass Lowell campus lockdown as armed Asian man sought

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Umass Lowell campus placed on lockdown as armed Asian man thought to be a potential shooter is sought after observed canvassing school dorms.
Umass Lowell campus placed on lockdown as armed Asian man thought to be a potential shooter is sought after observed canvassing school dorms.
Umass Lowell campus placed on lockdown as armed Asian man thought to be a potential shooter is sought after observed canvassing school dorms.
Umass Lowell campus placed on lockdown as armed Asian man thought to be a potential shooter is sought after observed canvassing school dorms.

Umass Lowell campus lockdown has been lifted following initial reports of armed Asian man thought to be a potential shooter sought after observed canvassing school dorms. Man determined to have ‘left area.’ 

Massachusetts‘ Umass Lowell campus order of lockdown has been lifted as police had sought to locate an armed man allegedly brandishing a ‘long weapon’. The incident led to the community being advised to ‘stay inside’.

Lowell police asked both residents and visitors to avoid the area, Wednesday afternoon after the un-identified individual was sighted carrying an AR-15 style rifle. 

Umass Lowell ‘active shooter alert.’ 

There were no reports of any shots being fired, but Massachusetts State Police said troopers ‘are aware’ of a video being circulated that appears to show an armed individual walking near the dorms.

Messages sent to the campus community through an emergency system said that police are searching ‘for a 5-foot-5 Asian male wearing a gray or white sweatshirt and black shorts carrying a long weapon. Seen in the rear of Riverview Suites.’

Riverview Suites is a dorm located on Middlesex Street. Lowell police said the police activity was also extending to the areas of Pawtucket and Broadway streets, WCVB reported.

It wasn’t until late afternoon, circa 5.40 p.m, that the shelter-in-place order at UMass Lowell was lifted after police determined that the ‘man’ was no longer in the area.

Latest college swatt hoax? 

‘Police from UMass Lowell and the city of Lowell were alerted this afternoon to reports of a male on South Campus carrying an object suspected of being a firearm. A campus-wide shelter in place order has been issued as officers attempt to find this individual,’ University officials said.

Lowell Mayor Daniel Rourke added that the city is ‘utilizing all available resources at this time’.

The incident comes as a wave of so-called ‘swatting’ hoaxes have targeted colleges and universities across the country as students return to campuses for fall classes.

UMass Lowell has approximately 16,900 undergraduate and graduate students, with 3,700 living on campus across 10 residence halls.

The public research university about 45 minutes north of Boston.